The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-22

done. Not far from the camp the Bishop saw
the entrance to a deep ravine that the party had
passed few minutes before coming to halt
| He ''sensed" at once that Mr. Dodson was there.
With his umbrellas held aloft he fastened to
| the entrance 1t was deep gully overhupg al
| the top both sides with immense trees. II
| was narrow. and the slopes and bottom were COW
| cred with thick growth of high green grass.
The footsteps of the truant Dodson could be dis
cerned here and there where the grass hung down
| unevenly. The Bishop waded in, and we'll up in
| the ravine where the shade was deepest and most
| refreshing he found Mr.. Dodson stretched out
| at full length almost asleep. The poor man
| thought he had picked out the incest place to
| rest in the whole vicinity So he had would he
| have been content to sleep there until the car
| ron fowl had picked off his flesh and the tropic
| winds bleached his bones. Had he not been
| awakened just he he would surely have
died before night such is the terrible swiftness
| OF tropical distemper. The Bishop brought him
| back TO camp, post haste, with serious admoni-
| tons as to his reckless behavior. Mr.. Dodson.
| IN considerable alarm. promised to be good, and
the bishop made him put on a loose overcoat, or
wrapper, in addition to what he already wore,
and lie down in the open air. protected only by
the meagre shade of the rock. The Bishop did
likewise. and for a while they seemed to swelter
/ worse than when on the march In time they
| ate lightly again of vegetables and cassava and
drank weak tea. Mr.. Dodson was feverish. but
not seriously So He wanted to eat some OF the
| fresh fruit that grew wild about them, but the
Bishop positively forbade him.
They remained quietly at camp during the rest
of the day and slept at night under blankets.
| Early the following morning they prepared to
set out again. but Mr.. Dodson had by no means
recovered from his indiscretions of the day be-
fore. He felt weak and languid. He was treat
ed to a stimulant in the shape of quiuine. the
ereign medicine of all this country, drug that
no man goes without, and the only tonic that
wise men resort to here But, in spite OF the
stmulant, Mr.. Dodson was not restored to his
former vgor. and progress had to be slow.
Eventually the natives had to carry him, as best
they could, extemporizing litter out of such
material as they could find at hand. They told
the Bishop that not tar away was village which
they would pass through in which dwelt doc
tor of great renowE, who would put the white
man on his feet IL he would consent to African
treatment and reward the doctor sufficiently.
They were not encouraged to think that the
white man would submit, though when the viii
lage was reached it was necessary to stop and
seek shelter for the invalid. Rest was ali he
quired, and the Bishop knew it. and, having at
tended to his friends immediate needs, he
set out to see what manner of place he had
come to.
1t was an irregular group of not more than a
dozen houses The natives cultivated, in their
crude way, the vegetables Indigenous to the
country, and occasionally, taking fit of enter
prise went out in hunts for the elephant to get
the ivory tusks. These they would take to the
trading center. Pondo, and dispose of them to
the chief of a caravan or to a local trader. The
Bishop noticed several men gathered about
of the huts at the further end of the village and
he went up to them with one OF the native COM
panions. The presence of white man in the vi
cinity not unusual to provoke much
interest When they had first arrived some of
the inhabitants had come to meet them under
the impression that they were traders from DON
do. and learning their error, went away again in
differently. The Bishop went up to the group
ard found there who IN a revoltIneiy
ugly way, was harranguing mis- neighbors. The
native carrier listened and became very grave.
This mans wife, he explained to the Bishop
in bad Portuguese, sis very sick. and he believes
that she has been bewitched py her daugh-
ter, girl about ten years old The says
the girl does not look straight meaning that her
eyes were afflicted with strabisnlus) and that
she turns frequently in her sleep from her right
to her LETT side. He intends to kill the daughter
that the spell of disease may be lifted from his
wife, but he is waiting for the doctor to assure
his neigh bors that he is right in SO doing"
The Bishop was Mortified beyond measure.
"But surely" he exclaimed. 1.-The doctor will
not justify the killing of that innocent chidl'
The native hesitated. His associations with
the Europeans of Dondo had done something
toward cvizing his nature. and he knew that
the white would resort TO such ex-
treme measures in any case And he knew that
the white men frequently were visited by death
his reasoning that they might escape if they
looked out more sharply for witches in the chill
dren He replied to the Bishop:
81 don't know. 1t is q serious matter when
one does not look straight, and it is certainly
not right to turn from the right to the left in
sleep. This man says his daughter has been
given TO this habit since her birth, and that he
has long believed that she should have been
killed at His neighbors have known of
his feelings and have told him that he should
wait for the doctors word. They care not for
have her ghost haunting them for vengeance
should she be unjustly put to death"
This argument was not to be answered even
by Christian bishop, and for time he was
silent. Before the doctor came he saw the sick
wife in the hut She lay helpless on the ground.
wasted by a fever. Her children were about
her, and nearest to her was the unfortunate who
was under accusation of practising witchcraft.
Both mother and child knew all that was going |
on, and it seemed as If both were certain of the
result. The child trembled and stared in silent
terror, while the mother clasped her to her |
shoulder and looked beseechingly on the group |
of The husband continued to harrangue, |
casting hateful glances now and then into the |
hut where his wife and children lay. African |
women at the best degraded creatures. but |
their redeeming quality is strongly marked |
1t is their affection for their children.
Presently there was a stir in the crowd and |
the doctor was seen approaching. He came |
slowly and with much dignity as befitted the |
reverence in which he was esteemed. Had he |
FASTENED TO come at the call he would have
dangered his reputation. He was grotesouely |
clad; snakes skins. claws of birds and hoofs of
animals dangled from his garments. and be car
ried in his hand a wand that appeared like hui
man femuf. The natives made way for him in
silence, and gravely he approached the door of |
the hut. When he stood at the entrance he
raised his arms above his head, and uttered sew
oral words in loud voice. lad who followed
him bore crude drum made by stretching
tanned skin across the boueh of tree bent as
% form a rough circle The doctor took this
1rum and pounded on it vigorously with his
wand. Then he raised his arms again. and ut
cred further words. The native told the Bishop
hat this was to warn the spirits of evil that he
Knew them, and that they had better take them
elves off at once. At last the Doctor turned to
he husband. and demanded what was the mat
er
1.-The woman-boy there!' exclaimed the fellow
iercely, pointing to the trembling child. The
African has no word for girl, and calls his
daughters woman-boys. .'She has bewitched
ny WIFE Sickness is upon US. Our field is dry
The banana grows not for The wind blows
Il upon us, and the night brings death. See,
he womau-boy squints she turns to the left
he prays TO the evil spirit in the forest she
alks with the owl at night Shall she not dieq"
The brute imagining both ills for himself
md signs of evil in the child. He had made up
us mind that she ought to die; that he would
lot have her any longer. and he meant to give
he doctor such evidence that he would not but
i've his professional consent to the sacrifice.
But the doctor did not yield at once. He raised
lis arms and shouted. moving his feet slowly at |
iret and gradually working himself into a fren- |
led dance. The Bishop turned to his guide
is there nothing can do to prevent this
orrible deedl" he asked.